Queensland began their defence of the Sheffield Shield with a crushing victory over South Australia and, worryingly for the other states, captain James Hopes expects the Bulls to be a better side this year.
A flurry of early day-four wickets ended the Redbacks’ faint hopes of avoiding defeat, with the visitors falling to a 191-run defeat after being dismissed for 271.
Bulls’ Luke Feldman (4-50) and Ben Cutting (3-51) inspired a collapse that saw five wickets fall in as many overs for 18 runs.
Though Joe Mennie entertained with a lusty, lower-order cameo of 79 not out, it only delayed the inevitable.
Hopes, who contributed himself with 5-27 in the first innings and two scores of forty-plus, says the team spirit and progressive skillset of the Bulls squad means they will be tough to beat throughout the season.
“It’s fun watching a bunch of kids learn on the fly and get better with every game,” Hopes said.
“Feldman’s a better bowler this year, (Alister) McDermott is going to be a better bowler this year, Cutting’s a better player all round, Cameron Boyce is getting better.
“Our top order is more established. Yes, we’ve bought some players, but they came here because they knew the kind of feeling we have in the squad and they want to be a part of that.”
South Australia began the morning well with Phil Hughes (83) and Callum Ferguson (44) looking untroubled, before the latter reached for the ball outside off-stump and presented a catch to Boyce in the gully off Cutting.
Hughes nicked Feldman to Andrew Robinson at second slip for a disappointing end to his second impressive knock on debut for the Redbacks.
With the class of South Australia’s batting lineup having departed, a collapse set in with Sam Miller, Travis Head and Tim Ludeman all falling in quick succession.
Redbacks coach Darren Berry would have expected his team to be much more competitive in their season opener, especially after winning the toss and sending Queensland in to bat on a green wicket and overcast conditions – easily the most difficult time to bat in the match.
Hopes singled out Usman Khawaja’s first-day innings of 88 as a crucial moment in the game.
“He was exceptional on a wicket like that,” Hopes said.
“It’s a good test of batting, Shield cricket at the Gabba … in my book he’s got a technique ready-made to bat (in the) top-order for Australia.”
Man-of-the-match Cutting’s explosive 109 from 78 balls took Queensland’s first-innings total up to 398 all out and in reply Hughes (95) received no support from his teammates, as only two of them reached double figures in South Australia’s 184.
The Bulls briefly looked in trouble when reduced to 5-64 in their second innings, but another lower-order hundred, this time from Chris Hartley (103 not out), set a target of 463 that South Australia never looked likely to chase.
